Halo: Lone Wolf
by Akatsuki Leader13
Summary: AU He survived the Fall of Reach. But now he finds himself on the mysterious Halo. What secrets goes it hold? What horrors lay buried beneath it?
1. Chapter 1

Yo everybody! I cannot get over the sheer number of reviews I got for my one-shot. So here's the first chapter of the first book of the series I have planned. There will be four books in total, covering Halo, Halo: First Strike, Halo 2 and Halo 3.

So sit back and enjoy Halo: Lone Wolf.

And of course, read An Altered Destiny first, for those who haven't.

Disclaimer: I don't own Halo, Halo: Reach or Halo: The Flood. Just Lucas B312.

**Chapter One: AI Constructs and Cyborgs First!**

He was alone, standing atop a small tower overlooking a dust and smoke covered battlefield. A couple of Banshees and a Phantom fly overhead. Noble Six raised his loaded DMR.

His fight wasn't over yet…

Six grabbed one of the two M247H Heavy Machine Gun turrets, pulling the gun off the tripod. Nearby, a group of Grunts and an Elite Minor emerged from a Phantom, advancing on his position. The Spartan squeezed the trigger, unloading a steady stream of bullets into the alien soldiers. Rounds shredded through the Grunts, staining the dirt and grass with their luminous blue blood. The Elite lasted a little longer because of its shields but it too quickly fell under the furious hail of bullets.

As the last warrior died, a Banshee swooped low, firing on the lone human. The Spartan backpedaled from the strafing aircraft, unloading the machine gun's remaining bullets. The rounds tore through the Banshee's hull, tearing it and its pilot apart.

Two more Phantoms appeared, moving towards him. Noble Six dropped the empty machine gun, sprinting towards where he had stashed a M41 Rocket Launcher earlier. Rolling behind a concrete barricade, he picked up the rocket launcher and took aim at the nearest dropship. Twin rockets streaked towards the aircraft, slamming into its cockpit. The front of the moving Phantom exploded, causing it to spiral into the ground, taking its passengers with it.

But as it crashed, the other dropship successful released its passengers, more Elites and Grunts. Six switched to his DMR, firing shot after shot as they rushed towards him. A bullet struck the head of one Grunt, another hit the methane tank of a second, causing it to explode, taking a third Grunt that was too close with it. A fourth pulled out a plasma grenade, igniting it just before a bullet tore through its arm. The alien dropped it and a second later it exploded, killing several Grunts with it.

An overcharged Plasma Pistol fired, the bolt striking Noble Six's face. The Spartan was thrown off his feet, slamming onto the ground. Six could see nothing but stars as the alarms sounded in his helmet. When his vision cleared, cracks in his visor were the first thing he saw. The second was a Grunt holding a Needler.

Six's hand shot out, ripping the breathing mask off its face. The alien squealed, gasping for breath. The Spartan shot up to his feet, pausing to kick the Grunt away. He drew his sidearm, firing at the rest of the enemy as he ran from them.

The Covenant soldiers fired back, sending plasma bolts, Needler shards and a single green glob of incendiary gel. Six frantically dove into a makeshift foxhole that had been created from a burnt out building.

One of them had a Fuel Rod Gun.

This was going to make things… _difficult_.

Six ejected the empty clip from his pistol and slapped in a fresh one. He had two other clips for the gun and single plasma grenade.

He _needed_ another weapon fast.

The squawks and howls of the Grunts filled the air as they drew closer. Six rose from his foxhole, firing at the Grunts and Elites as he rushed towards more cover, dodging more shots along the way.

He reached another half-destroyed building, the bodies of several soldiers lying inside. Six grabbed one of their MA37 Assault Rifles, ejecting the nearly empty clip and grabbing a fresh one from the man's body, reloading the weapon and stocking up on as much ammo as he could.

Six pressed his body up against a wall, next to a gaping hole. He turned into the hole, throwing the plasma grenade at the Grunts, hitting the one holding the Fuel Rod Gun. The small alien shrieked as the others desperately tried to get away from it. A second later, the grenade exploded, killing some of the Grunts and detonating the cannon's ammunition.

A second and much larger explosion tore through the area, killing nearly all of the Grunts while those that survived were quickly gunned down by Six before they could recover.

Reloading, he cautiously emerged from his cover, searching for the Elites. He couldn't see where they gone in the fog. Elites weren't Grunts. If they weren't coming at him head on, they were planning on flanking him or ambushing him while he dealt with the cannon fodder. And in this smoke, they could be anywhere.

Suddenly, a fist erupted from a smoke, striking the Spartan's face. The cracks in his visor became a spider-web that covered most of his vision. But Six stayed standing and bashed his rifle into the Elite Minor's head as he drew his combat knife with his left hand. The Elite staggered back, its shields gone, a knife ramming into its mandibles.

Breathing heavily from exhaustion and injuries he had sustained over the weeks of fighting against the Covenant, Six fell to his knees, dropping his rifle before pulling off his damaged helmet. With his vision no longer obstructed, he grabbed his assault rifle and stood back up. An Ultra charged at him, firing off its Plasma Rifle. The Spartan roared as he gunned down the Elite. Suddenly, a gold armored General appeared behind him, an energy sword in its hand. Six spun around, driving his elbow with all of his might into the head of the Elite, killing its shields before the alien fell to the ground. He drew his pistol and fired two shots into its head.

But as he turned from the dead Elite, a barrage of plasma fire struck his body. Without his helmet, his shields were inactive, leaving him unprotected. Six cried out in pain as the plasma burned his body. He staggered back, firing his assault rifle and pistol at the Major and Minor that were advancing on him. Both quickly fell from his assault.

Another Ultra slammed into Noble Six, knocking him to the ground. The white-plated Elite drew an energy dagger, intending to gut the Spartan but Six kicked the warrior back. As the Ultra stumbled back, a Zealot with an energy sword moved to decapitate him.

Barehanded, the Spartan drove his left hand into the Elite's skull, throwing the blade from its hand. As the Zealot drew its own dagger, the Ultra returned, grabbing the Spartan's left arm. Noble Six struck back, punching the alien with his free hand. Breaking its grip as the Elite was knocked back.

At that moment, the Elite Zealot stood over him. "Your destruction is at hand demon," the maroon armored alien barked crudely in English.

The dagger plunged into his chest-

Lucas's eyes shot open, gasping for breath, the glass and metal of the cryo-tube surrounding him. He closed his eyes, willing himself to calm down. His breathing steadied and his heart slowed to normal.

He was no longer on Reach. The battle was over. Lucas mentally reminded himself that he had made it off the planet and was currently abroad the _Pillar of Autumn_. The Spartan-III had always hated cryo-sleep. It always gave him nightmares. Usually they were of the glassing of Jericho VII, his home. But this time, he was on Reach, fighting to his last breath.

Looking through the glass, he could see one of the ship's technicians standing before the console of the two cryo-tubes. "Both suits are showing green," he heard the man said, his voice muffled by the tube. "Cycle complete."

Lucas's cryo-tube as well as the tube next to his opened. The Spartan attempted to rise only to have his head start to spin, forcing him back down onto the tube. "Sorry for the quick thaw sirs," the Tech Chief said. "Things are a little hectic right now. The disorientation should pass quickly."

"_Welcome back sirs,"_ the technician standing in the observation room added with a wave. _"We'll have you both battle ready in no time."_

"Sam, bring up their health monitors," the Tech Chief, T. Shephard according to his nametag, ordered.

"_Right."_

Lucas watched as his vital signs appeared on his HUD, just below the shield integrity display. "Vital signs look normal," Shephard said as he studied his console. "Minimal freezer burn. Okay sirs, go ahead and climb out of the cryo-tube."

'_Minimal?'_ Lucas thought, much of his skin irritated from being covered during cryo-sleep.

While this wasn't the first time the Spartan-III had entered cryo-sleep with clothes on, this was the first time his entire body was covered. His whole body itched like hell.

Lieutenant B312 stood up and climbed out of their cryo-tube, pausing to stretch out his stiff body. Next to him, Master Chief Petty Officer 117 emerged from the other tube.

"I gave you both a double dose of the wake-up stim," Shephard explained as the Spartans moved around, recovering the effects of their thawing. "Take a quick walk around the bay and we'll get your shields up when you're ready."

But just as he said that, there was a loud rumbling and the _Pillar of Autumn_ shuttered. Both Spartans tensed, glancing at each other for a moment. They were under attack.

"We don't have time. Let's get this over with," the Master Chief said as they headed for the diagnostic station set for the shield systems of the MJOLNIR armor.

The station was a rather simple looking device. It consisted of an inverted L-shaped beam with a pair of metal arms hanging from it.

Tech Chief Shephard quickly followed after the two Spartans. "Alright then, we'll start with you Master Chief," he replied. "Step into the test station."

Lucas watched as the Master Chief moved in between the two arms, standing perfectly still.

Shepherd glanced up at his subordinate in the observation station. "Okay, bring his energy shields online please."

The station activated, the arms spinning around the Master Chief as the devices on the ends of the arms started to glow. The Chief's armor shimmered for a moment as its shields powered up.

_"Alright. Shields read as fully charged,"_ Sam reported.

"Okay, sir. We're going to bring them down to test the automatic recharge," Shepherd said, explaining the next phase as the arms slowed down.

The golden lights on the arms turned red and electricity surged from them. Master Chief's shields flared up for a second before dying. A few moments later, his armor shimmered briefly as his shields came back up.

_"Recharging normal,"_ Sam said. _"Showing green across the board."_

Shepherd nodded his head. "Good. Now if you'd step into the station, we'll get you taken care of."

The Spartan-II moved out from under the device, allowing Lucas to enter it. Once he was under it, Sam began to start up the process again. However, something unexpected happened. "Ah… Sir, I'm getting an error message here."

Shepherd turned to Sam, a confused expression on his face. "What?"

"I don't know what to make of it sir."

Clearly, his Mark V(B) Armor was incompatible with the diagnostic device. An annoyance, but not a serious problem. "I'll bring my shields up manually," Lucas replied before pressing chin into the small button within his helmet.

Like with the Chief's armor, the Lieutenant's shimmered as the shields came online. The shield meter in his HUD completely filled up. "Shields fully charged," he reported.

The Tech Chief eyed him cautiously for a second. "Bring them down Sam."

Again, bolts shot out from the device. Lucas blinked as lightning flashed across his visor, the alarm bell filling his ears as his meter emptied. Seconds later, his shields came back, fully recharging. "They're good," he said.

_"Bridge to Cryo 2, this is Captain Keyes. Send the Spartans to the bridge immediately,"_ the _Autumn's _Captain said over the intercom.

"Captain, we'll have to skip the weapons diagnostics and I-" Shepherd started to protest.

_"On the double, crewman."_

"Aye aye, sir." The engineer turned to the two Spartans. "The skipper seems jumpy, we'd better get moving. We'll find you weapons later."

Neither Spartan liked the idea of remaining unarmed as a battle played out around them. Of course, if it stayed a ship-to-ship battle, there would be little that they could do.

_"Okay. I'll leave the self-diagnostics running at least,"_ the technician in the booth said.

"Good idea. You'd better get to your evac group, Sam!" Shepherd replied.

Sam nodded, his hands dancing across his console. _"Affirmative. Just have to reset the computer and I'm outta here!"_

Suddenly, loud banging filled the chamber. It was coming from the door to the observation room. They all knew what it was.

The Covenant had come aboard.

_"Oh God! They're trying to get through the door!"_ a panicking Sam shouted. _"Security! Intruders in Cryo Two!"_

But it was too late. The door was torn open and a crimson clad Elite emerged, firing its Plasma Rifle at the defenseless man.

"_No, please don't-__Agh!__"_

The dead technician collapsed while the Elite turned its attention to the other three men. It fired its weapon but was useless against the reinforced glass of the booth. The alien snarled and ran out, searching for another way into the cryo chamber.

"Sam! Sam!" Shepherd called out, vainly hoping against fate. There was no response. He shook his head before running to the door. "C'mon, we've got to get the hell out of here!"

Both Spartans followed after him into the corridor. The Tech Chief raced to a closed door at the end of the hallway. "This way!" he shouted back, hitting the door control.

At that very instant, an explosion tore through the door, throwing the man violently halfway across the corridor. He was already dead before his body came to a stop.

However, that wasn't all.

Fire and debris filled the doorway and the room beyond it. They weren't going to be able to make through there.

"Through there," the Master Chief said, pointing to an open service crawlspace that opened up into another hallway.

The Spartans ducked through the narrow space, climbing over some large pipes before reaching the next corridor, identical to the previous one. They sprinted to the nearby door and opened it. The sight that greeted them was of a firefight between three armed crewmen a small group of Grunts a large corridor. Both soldiers knew they could do very little unarmed as they were.

There was an explosion, sending a man's body flying. Decompression alarms sounded as the emergency bulkheads activated, separating the aliens from the humans. One of the two surviving crewmen rushed to his fallen comrade's side, checking his vitals.

The other man turned to the Spartans, looking pale and haggard. "There's nothing you can do here sirs. You better get out of here."

Neither said anything, continuing towards the Bridge. Along the way, the two encountered more desperate battles between UNSC personnel and the warriors of Covenant. Each of them ended with the aliens beginning pushed back but the fact that they had managed to penetrate as deep as they were into the _Autumn_, was both disturbing and troubling. If things continued as they were, the _Autumn_ was going to be lost.

* * *

When they finally neared the Bridge, they found area a mess. The Covenant had come close, dangerously close to the command center of the ship. Barricades, both makeshift and otherwise, had been set up along the paths to the Bridge in an effort to hold the invaders back. The marines had succeeded in keeping the Covenant back but at terrible cost. Bodies were strewn about the hallway, their blood staining the floor and walls.

"Sirs!" a private yelled as the two super soldiers walked through the aftermath of the latest battle. "The Captain needs you on the bridge, ASAP! You better follow me."

The soldier ran into an armory station, both men following after him. Lucas took a moment to look any weapons still in the station. Unfortunately, it had been cleared out of weapons and was now being used as an emergency triage station.

"Sir, come on!" the private called out from the door at the end of the room.

Lucas nodded as he continued on. Minutes later, the two Spartans stepped onto the Bridge. All round them, grim-faced officers and crewmen were frantically manning their stations. Undoubtedly, they knew how exactly the entire battle was playing out. And by their expressions, it wasn't going well.

They continued onto the end of the Bridge where Captain Jacob Keyes stood before the main screen, studying the readouts that were being displayed. However, there was something displayed on the screen that caught both Spartans' attention. An odd ring-shaped object.

"Captain Keyes," the Master Chief said, announcing their presence to the commanding officer.

Keyes turned around, a slight grin on his face. "Good to see you, Master Chief, Lieutenant," Keyes replied, shaking their armored hands one after the other. After that, the grin slid off his face. "Things aren't going well. Cortana did her best, but we never really had a chance."

At the mention of her name, the AI appeared atop the holoprojector next to the main screen. "A dozen Covenant superior battleships against a single _Halcyon_-class Cruiser. Given those odds I'm content with three..." Cortana paused, closing her eyes. "Make that four kills." The AI turned to the two Spartans. "Sleep well?"

Lucas shrugged. "I've had worse."

"No thanks to your driving, yes," the Chief replied.

A smile spread across Cortana's face. "So you _did_ miss me," she said to the older soldier.

Lucas briefly wondered what exactly Cortana meant by that but chose not to say anything.

Suddenly, the _Autumn _shook violently, forcing everyone on the Bridge to brace themselves against whatever they could. Both the Captain and Lucas supported themselves against the main screen while the Master Chief staggered but stayed standing. "Report!" Keyes yelled the instant the shaking stopped and he was able to stand up.

"It must have been one of their boarding parties!" the distressed AI responded. "I'd guess an Antimatter Charge."

"Ma'am! Fire control to the main cannon is offline!" Lieutenant Hikowa, the _Autumn's_ Weapon Officer shouted from her station.

"Captain, the cannon was my last offensive option," Cortana pointed out.

The MAC Cannon was about the only effective ship-based weapon the UNSC had that could counter the energy shields of Covenant warships. Without it, they might as well open an airlock and start throwing rocks that them.

Keyes let out a sigh. "Alright then," he said. "I'm initiating Cole Protocol, Article 2. We're abandoning the _Autumn_. That means you too, Cortana."

"While you do what, go down with the ship?" the AI asked, annoyed tone in her voice.

"In a manner of speaking," the Captain replied, turning to the main screen, tapping it with his pipe. "The object we found, I'm going to try and land the _Autumn_ on it."

Cortana shook her head. "With all due respect, sir, this war has _enough _dead heroes."

The Captain turned to the AI. "I appreciate your concern, Cortana, but it's not up to me. Protocol is clear. Destruction or capture of a shipboard AI is absolutely unacceptable, that means you're leaving the ship. Lock in a selection of emergency landing zones, upload them to my neural lace, and then sort yourself for a hard transfer," he ordered.

"Aye aye, sir," Cortana said, capitulating to the officer.

Her holographic body disappeared from its pedestal. With her gone, Keyes turned to the Spartans. "Which is where you two come in," he continued. "Get Cortana off this ship. Keep her safe from the enemy. If they capture her, they'll learn everything. Force deployment, weapons research... Earth."

The most closely guarded secret of humanity was the location of Earth. And the greatest fear of the UNSC was for Earth to be discovered by the Covenant. It would be Armageddon. The safeguarding of Earth was their highest priority. Everything thing else paled in comparison. "We understand," the Chief answered for both of them.

Cortana reappeared on her pedestal. "The _Autumn_ will continue evasive maneuvers until you initiate a landing sequence. Not that you'll listen, but I'd suggest letting my subroutines handle the final approach," she said.

The Captain nodded his head. "Excellent work, Cortana," he replied. "And thank you. Are you ready?"

Cortana took a moment, looking around at the _Autumn_. She let out a sigh. "Yank me," the AI said, hanging her head and her eyes closed.

Keyes typed in a sequence in the keypad built into the holoprojector. Cortana's avatar disappeared just before he pulled out the chip containing Cortana's data crystal. "Good luck Spartans," the Captain said as he handed the chip to the Master Chief.

Upon receiving the chip, the older Spartan inserted it into the back of his helmet. Lucas shook his head as he watched. He would never stick something like that into his head, even if he was ordered to.

"Don't get any funny ideas," the Chief uttered.

"Excuse me Chief?" Lucas asked, confused as what he was talking about.

The Spartan shook his head. "Nothing."

Keyes drew his sidearm, handing it to the Master Chief who took it. "I don't keep it loaded, son," he said before turning to Lucas. "And I only have the one."

The Lieutenant reached up to his chest, pulling his combat knife from its sheath. "Don't worry about me, sir. I still have my knife."

"Alright then," Keyes replied with a nod. "Get going you two."

* * *

The two Spartans carefully crept through one of the empty corridors of the _Autumn_, the distant sounds of battles playing out around them. They had yet to come across any Covenant yet, which was fortunate considering all they had was an empty pistol and a knife.

Lucas had taken point, holding his knife up defensively while the Master Chief followed after him. The Spartan-III could feel the occasional glances the older soldier was giving him. He looked back at him. "If you want to ask something, ask it."

"I have several," the Chief replied.

He was expecting that. They hadn't really said anything to each other since the _Autumn_ left Reach. And as far as the Chief knew, Halsey's Spartan-IIs were the only Spartans in existence. "Then ask."

"You armor, it's similar to the MJOLNIR Mark V but it isn't. What is it and what are its full capabilities?"

"MJOLNIR Mark V(B) Armor," Lucas answered. "Near identical to your armor but designed and constructed by a private contractor rather than the UNSC."

"Shield strength?"

"Not quite as strong as Mark V's. But it has some experimental features that your armor lacks."

Suddenly, the Spartan-II spun around while the Spartan-III stabbed his knife into a small alcove. A black armored Special Ops Elite appeared, staggering back from the Master Chief. In the alcove, another Elite appeared, the knife in its chest. Lucas pulled his blade out and rammed it into the alien's throat, twisting the handle as he drove it in. Nearby, the other Elite swung its Plasma Rifle down on the Chief but he sidestepped the blow, driving his elbow into its midsection and followed up with a powerful uppercut. The Elite fell to the ground and the Spartan stomped on its neck, killing it.

"You were saying," the Chief said as they both lifted up the Elites' Plasma Rifles.

* * *

"Grenade!" a marine shouted, diving for cover as a plasma grenade flew through the air.

Other soldiers scrambled out of the way as the explosive landed on the ground. But one wasn't fast enough and was caught in the blast while two others were gunned down by the Elites, Jackals and Grunts they were fighting as they moved for cover.

At that moment, Spartan B312 appeared, charging at the Covenant warriors. An Elite Major barked out an order and its squad fired on the Spartan. He took dozens of hits before flickering for second and disappearing altogether.

As he disappeared, a service tunnel hatch across from the Covenant troops opened and the Master Chief emerged, firing his plasma rifle at the aliens as his younger comrade rallied the surviving marines. Bullets and plasma bolts rained down on the aliens. A Jackal's shield overload and a second later it was struck down. Two Grunts fell while another's methane tank ruptured. The combined fire of several marines and the Master Chief killed the Major. A panicking Grunt pulled out plasma grenade and primed it, only to be hit by burst of fire from one of the marines. The grenade dropped from its grip and then exploded, killing almost all of the Covenant soldiers fighting in the confined space of the corridor.

Only an Elite Minor, its shields dead, survived. The blue clad warrior howled, racing towards the Chief as it blindly fired at him. Clearly, the warrior wanted to kill the Spartan before dying. But the Master Chief was not about to let him, unloading with his Plasma Rifle until it overheated. The plasma bolts tore through the charging alien's body. It stumbled as it reached him, its momentum throwing it forward. The dead Elite flew on top the Spartan, nearly knocking him down. But the Chief managed to stay on his feet, tossing the body to the ground.

"Here," Lucas said, approaching the other Spartan with a MA5B Assault Rifle and some clips in his hands. "I don't know about you, but I prefer to have something human-made in my hands."

The Chief took the offered weapon, ejecting the half spent clip before taking the additional ammo. "Thanks," he replied, reloading the rifle.

"_Hologram projector. Nice trick,"_ Cortana complimented.

Lucas nodded as he pulled out another assault rifle from the magnetic strip on his back. "It helped me out more than few times on Reach."

"Sirs," the sergeant leading the marine squad called out. "Thanks for the help."

"_You soldiers better get to your evac station before they leave,"_ Cortana said.

The NCO nodded his head. "Yes ma'am." He turned to his squad. "You heard the lady, let's get moving."

The marines turned and began running down the corridor, away from the Spartans. _"Come on, we better get moving too."

* * *

_

More and more battles were raging across the _Autumn_ and while the soldiers and crew members were putting up a valiant fight, the waves of Covenant warriors seemed to be without end. Every wave slowly wore down the UNSC forces bit by bit. Ultimately, the humans wouldn't win this battle. But they weren't seeking to win the battle, just by time for everyone to get off the ship.

Which included two Spartans and an AI.

"_There! Lifeboats straight ahead!"_ Cortana exclaimed. _"Hurry up before they leave without us!"_

Neither man needed to be told twice, racing towards the three lifeboats in their moorings, firing on a handful of Jackals and Grunts standing in between them and their means of escape. Unfortunately, just as they reached a window that overlooked the lifeboats, they took off one by one. As they launched, the guns from one of the Covenant warships fired upon them. Beams struck the _Autumn's _hull and the third lifeboat, destroying it instantly.

"_The Covenant are destroying the lifepods…"_ Cortana said as they watched the two remaining craft made their escape. _"They really don't want us on that ring."_

"All the more reason for us to get down there," the Chief replied, reloading his rifle.

Lucas said nothing as he slapped in a fresh clip. Dr. Halsey's words when she handed Cortana to him on Reach echoed in his mind. Was the ring what Halsey had talked about? Was it the game changer?

The only way to know for sure was, just as the Master Chief said, to get down there.

"Where's the closest set of lifeboats?" the Spartan-III asked.

"_Not too far,"_ the AI answered. _"I'll set up a marker on your HUDs."_

A moment later, a marker arrow and the distance to the point in meters appeared on the heads-up display of both Spartans' helmets. "Well then, let's get going," Lucas said, moving to head around the corner. "I'll take point."

Lucas rounded the corner, his rifle raised and ready. However there were no contacts, friendly or otherwise. The two Spartans continued on, moving past the empty lifeboat moorings.

But as they neared another corner, their motion trackers detected several enemy contacts advancing on their position. Lucas peered around the corner, ducking back as Grunts fired at him. "Just a bunch of Grunts," he said. "Easy pickings."

The Chief nodded and the two of them spun around the corner, firing on the aliens. Within a few seconds, all of the Grunts were dead.

But their motion trackers were still detecting movement. "Spec Ops!" the Spartan-II shouted as the realization hit him.

Just as he shouted, a cloaked Elite appeared in front of Lucas, kicking the Spartan-III's chest. He flew back, crashing to the ground as more Elites appeared around the two soldiers. The one that knocked Lucas down activated its energy dagger, moving to finish the Spartan off. But Lucas was faster, driving his feet with all of his strength into the Elite chest. While the warrior stumbled back and Lucas climbed to his feet, another Elite fired its Plasma Rifle, striking his shield. The Spartan-III threw his knife, the Elite howled as the blade lodged itself in its eye.

The first Elite tackled him, trying to stab the Spartan with its dagger. As they grappled with each other, there was an explosion. Warning alarms sounded and an emergency bulkhead activated. Lucas started pushing the Elite back, moving towards the moving bulkhead. Their struggles intensified. Neither seemed to be able to get the better of the other. Lucas managed to break his right hand from the Elite's grip before driving it into the alien's head. Its head shot back, under the moving bulkhead. He grabbed the Elite's neck, holding it down. The alien fought back harder but it was too late. It howled as the bulkhead sealed. There was a crunch and blue blood sprayed out on the Spartan.

Lucas turned to the wounded Elite. It pulled the knife out, snarling as it ran off, activating its cloak once more. He made no move to chase after the fleeing Elite. Instead he picked up his knife, shaking the blood off before turning to the bulkhead. "Chief, Cortana, do you read me?"

"_We're here,"_ the Master Chief answered. _"You alright?"_

"Took care of the Elites on my end. Can you get the bulkhead open?"

"_Not from in here," _Cortana said.

Lucas nodded. "Then go sir. You need to get Cortana off the ship. I'll be fine," he replied.

"_What about you?"_ the older Spartan asked.

"I'll find my own way out."

"_Lieutenant, the bulkheads behind you have also sealed. However, there is an access door to the service tunnels nearby. If you follow it down, it should end near the Engine Room,"_ Cortana explained. _"After that, it should only be a short walk to the hangers or where the SOEIVs are."_

"Alright then," Lucas said, picking up his assault rifle before heading to the nearby door. "I'll see you on the ring."

He hit the door release button but it refused to open and he didn't know the override code. No matter. Lucas tore open the panel, revealing the wiring. While he may not have been as good at this stuff as Kat had been, the Spartan-III knew more than enough to get the door opened. After some quick hotwiring, the door opened, allowing him in.

* * *

Lucas's journey through the service corridors had been relatively uneventful. The passage were too small for Elites to effectively move around in, so they ignored the tunnels, sending in only the occasional Grunt patrol into them. And of course, most of those he encountered ran in fear without an Elite commander to keep them in line.

Eventually after going down half a dozen ladders and what seemed like miles of narrow corridors, the Spartan-III reached the end of the tunnels, picking up some comm chatter as he stepped out into a hallway.

"_All right,"_ a male voice said. _"Listen up! Play time is over. Captain Keyes is tired of our company and wants us to this tub. There's a construct down there, complete with an atmosphere, gravity, and the one thing marines' love like beer, dirt beneath our feet."_

It must have been a unit of marines that had been assigned to protect the Engine Room from Covenant boarders. Undoubtedly, they were preparing to leave in the drop pods. While the SOEIVs were primary insertion tool of the Orbital Shock Drop Troopers, all UNSC personnel were trained in their use as there plenty of instances in which other personnel would be forced to use them.

Lucas began walking towards the Engine Room, ignoring the bullet holes and plasma burns on the walls as well as the dead Covenant.

"_Most of the crew, not to mention your fellow jarheads, will be leaving the ship in lifeboats. They'll ride to the surface in air-conditioned comfort, sipping wine and nibbling on appetizers."_

Upon hearing those words he stopped. It couldn't be…

"_Not you, however. Oh no, you're going to leave the Pillar of Autumn by a different method. Tell me boys and girls, how will you leave?"_

Lucas shook his head, already knowing what they were going to say.

"_WE GO FEET FIRST SIR!"_ the response came from dozens of voices.

Helljumpers… He was going to be dropping with the damned ODST.

His past encounters with the drop troopers had left him with a deep loathing for the ODST in general. They were loud, arrogant, and at least a little crazy. And most held the Spartan Program and their soldiers in low regard, if not outright hatred. Which were mutual feelings for the Spartan. In the past year, he had been on three ops that had gone awry due to the 'help' of the ODST. Only his skill had prevented the ops from becoming failures.

Needless to say, he was not looking forward to being around the Helljumpers when the fighting resumed.

The set of doors at the end of the corridor opened and dozens of ODST soldiers started leaving the Engine Room. Upon seeing the Spartan, they stopped with more than a few of them glaring at them, their commanding officer stepping forward. "Major Antonio Silva," the man said as he approached. "It's a surprise to see you here Master Chief. I assume you're here looking for a way off the _Autumn_."

"Sir. I'm not the Master Chief," he replied. "Lieutenant Sierra B312, sir. But yes, I am looking for a way off the ship."

The Major sixed him up for a moment before nodding his head. "Very well Lieutenant. We're about to leave the ship as well. You're welcome to come with us as long as you don't mind slumming with the ODST."

"Thank you sir," he politely answered, ignoring the arrogant tone the man used.

With that they were off, heading for where the drop pods were. Lucas could hear the insults some of the Helljumpers were mumbling about him. But as always, he chose to disregard them.

After a few minutes, they reached the large drop pod room. Ten rows of SOEIVs stood on tracks. A single pod would drop from each row before the track would move and drop another. Lucas headed for the closest SOEIV at the front of the rows.

"Hey! That's my pod!" an annoyed corporal yelled at the Spartan as he closed the hatch.

The Lieutenant secured his weapons and strapped himself in, waiting for the drop timer to reach zero. All around him, the ODST members did the same. Just as the last of the drop pods were boarded and secured, the timer went from one to zero.

The tracks activated, pulling Lucas's into launch position. As soon as it reached said position, the clamps released and the pods thrusters activated, pushing the Spartan into his seat. Drop pods began falling from the _Autumn's _belly, racing towards the massive ring construct that they had found, the blaring tune of the ODST anthem filling the comms.

Lucas leaned his head back, staring out that the construct.

Whatever it was, whether Covenant or not, it was important to aliens. Enough so that they wouldn't risk bringing their full weapons to bear against the _Autumn_ out of fear of hitting it. Hence the boarding action against the ship.

And maybe, just maybe, Halsey's game changer would be there…

* * *

And done. As I've said before, this entire story will be from Lucas's PoV. Which means as you can already see that he won't follow the Chief through that he went through on Halo. This is _his_ story, not the Chief's.

As always, I love to hear from my fans. So review!


	2. Chapter 2

Yo everybody! Sorry this chapter took longer than it did but I was very busy over the weekend and didn't get much of a chance to work on it. But now it's done and ready for your enjoyment.

Also, I'd like to point out one thing. While McKay is a First Lieutenant of the Marines and Lucas is a Lieutenant of the Navy, Lucas is actually one rank higher than her. If he was in the Marines with the same rank, he'd be a Captain.

**Chapter Two: Running Wild**

Lucas B312 carefully crept up the winding ramp towards the top of the Covenant-controlled bluff that Major Silva and the AI Wellsley had designated Alpha Base as the system's sun rose over the horizon. Atop the bluff in question was number of structures that did not match with known Covenant structures. That being said, there was a sizable Covenant presence on cliff base, Grunts manning Shade turrets, Jackal patrol teams and the occasional Elite warrior wandering around the structures.

A sizable defense but not one that they couldn't overcome.

Personally, he had wanted to infiltrate the base alone and sabotage the defenses before the main attack. However the Major instead wanted him to be a part of First Lieutenant Melissa McKay's assault team as they launched the first strike against the base. Their target was the base's anti-air defenses. Once they were out, the Pelicans that had made it off the _Autumn_ and rendezvous with them since landing on the ring, would drop in reinforcements to finish off the rest of the Covenant forces.

As they reached the last corner of the ramp, Lucas's hand shot up, stopping the group. Slowly, he peered around the corner, looking up at the end of the last ramp. Two lazy Grunts were sleeping at the entrance rather than guarding the passage.

Through hand signs, Lucas relayed what he saw to McKay and that he was going to take them out. Silently, the Spartan moved up the ramp, drawing his knife. He reached out and grabbed the first Grunt, driving the blade across its throat as he pulled it back. While the dying Grunt rolled down the ramp, Lucas did the same to the other.

With both aliens dead, Lucas pulled up his M6D Magnum, using its scope to study his surroundings. After a moment, he lowered his sidearm, placing it back on his hip before drawing his assault rifle. "Lieutenant, keep your squad back until back until I tell you to attack," he said to the First Lieutenant.

McKay started to protest but the Spartan was already gone, moving into the base.

* * *

Lucas slowly peered over a half-wall, looking out at the Covenant positions. It reminded him of an Insurrectionist base on Taurus IV. He had been sent in to take out the base's anti-air batteries, communications and sensors before capturing and extracting the rebel leader, ultimately paving the way for an assault force to mop up afterwards.

However, there were some significant differences between the two. The Insurrectionist base had been a UNSC base and its layout had been arranged logically as a military base. But this base had been something else before the Covenant arrived there. At the center of the base was a large square building surrounded by smaller structures of various shapes and sizes with bridges and catwalks connecting between some of them.

According to Wellsley, the Covenant had a total of fourteen turrets set up for air defense. Four were on the roof of the central structure while five were spread out among the roofs of the eastern buildings and five on the western ones. Added to this were heavy weapon Grunts armed with Fuel Rod Guns patrolling along the catwalks.

What he did at Taurus IV wouldn't work here. But another plan had already formed in his mind. The Spartan looked up at a nearby tower that was taller than most of the other structures.

* * *

A green Grunt Heavy that should have been standing guard on one of the catwalks of the tower was curled up in a ball, sleeping next to its weapon. A hand suddenly reached out, grabbing its face. Its eyes shot open as Lucas drove his knife into the Grunt's neck. The alien gurgled as it died. He let go of the Grunt and picked up its Fuel Rod Gun. Hefting the weapon up, he took aim at the nearest Shade turret. He fired a shot, pivoting to the next turret as the projectile flew. With incredible precision, the Spartan empted the weapon into five turrets along with the Grunts operating them and a few other Grunts and Jackals that were too close.

The remaining aliens on the ground immediately spun around and started firing their weapons up at the tower. Lucas dropped to his knees, shielding himself from the plasma bolt and needler rounds. However, the Covenant soldiers some of the bridges and structures had a much better angle to shoot at him, forcing him to inch back into the structure.

"Wort, wort wort!" he heard the unmistakable voice of an Elite shout from below.

An Elite Minor was leading a cohort of Grunts and Jackals up the ramps of the tower to his position. But the ramps were narrow and confined which worked in his favor. He fired off bursts of his assault rifle, mowing down several of the Grunts as they rounded the last corner to reach him.

But their leader was smart, pulling back the rest. Two Jackals, shoulder to shoulder, their shield linked together as they advanced, protecting the rest of their unit. Lucas continued to fire but was unable to get through the shields.

Two Grunts pulled out plasma grenades and threw them at the Spartan. He dropped to his belly, the grenades sailing over him by inches. They exploded several feet from him on the catwalk, draining a bit of his shields in the process.

Lucas reached for his belt. "Here's a little gift you!" he shouted, rolling a frag grenade down the ramp.

The Jackals and Grunts let out startled gasps and shouts. They panicked and tried to run back, only to bump into those behind them and become tangled up. The grenade exploded, obliterating the lead Jackals and a Grunt behind them. Those standing further away were hit with shrapnel and thrown back from the force of the blast.

Only the bloody Elite Minor rose to its feet after the blast. The Elite roared, firing its Plasma Rifle and a Plasma Pistol that it had picked up. Lucas grabbed his rifle, firing as he rose to his knees. The Spartan emptied what was left of his clip while his shields were completely depleted by the Minor's fire. But as the ammo counter reached zero, the Elite collapsed.

Lucas reloaded his rifle, waiting as his shield recharged. If there was a single positive difference between here and Taurus IV, it was that he had his armor. The mission on Taurus required him to operate undercover without armor and by the end, he had acquired more than a few wounds. Of course, back then the only armor he used was SPI Armor which paled in comparison to MJOLNIR.

"Lieutenant McKay, I've taken out the eastern turrets," he said over their team frequency. "Moving on to the western turrets. Proceed with mopping up actions at your discretion."

"_With respect sir, the Major ordered you to assist my team in taking out the anti-air turrets. Not go off and single-handedly take on the entire base,"_ McKay protested.

"I work better alone Lieutenant," Lucas replied, cutting the comms.

It wasn't quite true. But everyone he ever considered a teammate was dead.

* * *

"Lieutenant. Lieutenant. Please respond," Melissa McKay hissed, trying to raise the Spartan. Getting no response, she silently cursed before turning to her team. "You heard the man, let's finish these bastards off."

She and her troopers rose up to their feet, moving away from their hiding spot and into the base. Much of the Covenant forces in base were in complete disarray, frantically searching for the Spartan as the sounds of periodic explosions filled the air. But there were also more than a few Grunts without Elites nearby that were running around in terror or blindly firing their weapons at anything that moved. Plenty of easy targets for the Helljumpers.

"What the hell are you waiting for troopers? An engraved invitation?" Company Sergeant Tink Carter shouted, firing his assault rifle at the nearest aliens.

An orange clad Grunt shrieked just before bullets tore through its body. It collapsed to the ground, joined by half a dozen more of its kind. But the noise had drawn other Covenant warriors to their position. An Elite Major along with some Minors, Jackals and Grunts approached the drop troopers, the bolts of their energy weapons flying.

The ODSTs dove for cover behind Covenant supply crates and around the corners of walls. However, not all of them were fast enough. Private Walker howled as an overcharged Plasma Pistol bolt horribly scorched his face and upper body. Another ODST, O'Conner, let out a gasp as a number of needler rounds struck her midsection. "Nooooo!" she screamed just before the shards detonated, tearing apart her chest.

Unfortunately, she didn't die instantly. McKay winced as the trooper's bloody form hit the ground. There worse ways to die than by Needler, but only a few.

"Incoming Heavies!" a trooper shouted from behind a supply crate.

Two Grunt Heavies armed with Fuel Rod Guns advanced towards the soldiers. A projectile slammed into a crate, throwing it into the two Helljumpers standing behind it. One of them was knocked clear back while the other became pinned underneath the crate. Before anyone could help the man, a Jackal shot him.

They continued to rain their fire upon the soldiers, forcing most of them to remain behind their cover as Covenant warriors pressed forward.

"Take them down!" McKay ordered, another Fuel Rod projectile hitting the ground near her position.

"I got 'em ma'am," Corporal Miles Stone, one of their snipers replied.

A thundering boom from a SRS99C-S2 AM Sniper Rifle filled the air. The head of one of the Heavies exploded, joined a split-second later by its methane tank. Another boom followed and the other Grunt died. "Yeah! Eat that,gas-suckers!" Stone shouted.

Without the fire of the heavy weapons, the ODSTs were able to continue firing on the advancing Covenant warriors. The combined fire of three troopers tore through a Jackal's shield before hitting it. An Elite Minor was hit in the chest with a sniper round, taking out its shields and allowing two other Helljumpers to finish it off. Four frag grenades flew through the air, landing among the alien soldiers, adding to the body count.

However, the Covenant weren't the only ones dying. A plasma grenade struck a Helljumper on his helmet. The man frantically tried to pull his helmet off but he was too late and the explosion obliterated him. Sergeant Madison cried out in pain, a plasma bolt grazing his right arm. Another trooper was struck in the face by a Jackal's plasma bolt and crumpled to the ground. "Medic! Medic!" Private Jackson screamed, holding the bloody neck of a fallen ODST. "We need a goddamn medic here!"

But for every human soldier that fell, several Covenant warriors died in return.

Soon, only three Elites and few Grunts and Jackals remained. While humans would have withdrawn from the fight and regrouped before suffering such heavy losses, the religious fervor of the Elites prevented them from even considering such an option.

Which ultimately sealed their fate.

As the drop troopers finished off the last of them, the comm came alive. _"Lieutenant, this is Sierra B312," _the wayward Spartan said. _"I've neutralized the western air defenses. There's still plenty of Covenant in this area, but I'm moving onto to the central structure and its defenses."_

"Belay that sir," McKay replied. "We need to clear out the Covenant outside the main structure or they'll just attack us from behind as we assault the building."

But there was no response from the Spartan. "Lieutenant? Lieutenant, do you read me?"

The First Lieutenant swore again before contacting her commander. "Major, this is McKay. We've taken out the outer turrets, but there are more Covenant here than initially estimated."

"_Understood Lieutenant,"_ Major Silva answered. _"I'll send in the first wave of your reinforcements in low beneath the range of the remaining turrets. But take those turrets out on the double Lieutenant. The Covenant have launched a counterattack against our position."_

McKay nodded her head out of reflex. "Yes sir. We'll take them out ASAP."

* * *

An Elite Major roared, firing two Plasma Rifles at Lucas. As the plasma bolts struck his shields, the Spartan unloaded his M6D and the Needler he had picked up into the alien warrior. Even as its shields dropped and a dozen pink needles embedded themselves in its body, the Elite didn't stop firing. Only when the Needler rounds detonated and it died did it stop.

As the corpse hit the ground, more Elites, led by an Ultra, approached, their weapons blazing. Lucas started backpedaling, emptying his guns, killing two Minors. With both guns empty, Lucas threw them away and drew his assault rifle. Rounds tore into the Elite warriors, taking out some as the rest continued to chase after him. Then the rifle's ammo counter reached zero.

Lucas was out of ammo and only had his knife left.

But only a fool would consider him less dangerous like that.

The Spartan stopped, grabbing the knife before lunging at the nearest Elite, a Major. Holding on to it, he drove the blade into the exposed area of the alien's neck, severing a vital artery. But he didn't let the Elite fall, propping it up as he reached for a plasma grenade from its belt.

The grenade hit the head of a nearby Elite, sticking to its helmet. It howled just before the explosive detonated. Lucas shielded himself from the explosion with the body of the Major but some of the other Elites weren't so lucky. However, the force of the blast knocked the Spartan to the ground, the dead Elite falling on top of him. With a grunt, Lucas pushed the corpse off of him, quickly rising to his feet.

Only the Ultra and two other Elites remained standing. The white clad Ultra roared, activated an Energy Sword. Lucas raised his knife up defensively while the remaining Elite took a few steps back.

The Ultra lunged at him, the blade swinging down on the Spartan. Lucas's left hand shot out, grabbing its forearm, stopping the Elite's attack. For a moment, the two grappled, trying to overpower the other before the Elite's foot slammed into Lucas's chest.

The Spartan hit the metal ground, rolling seconds later as the Ultra tried to stab him. After moving out of the way, Lucas swung his leg, tripping the alien and then flipping on top of it after it landed on the ground. He drove his knife into its jaw between the mandibles and twisted it.

With the Ultra dead, Lucas rose to his feet. The two remaining Elite Minors took a step back as he activated the Ultra's Energy Sword. Both opened fire as he sprinted towards them. The shields of his MJOLNIR armor flashed as they were steadily drained. But as Lucas reached them, he swung the sword in a wide horizontal arc, slicing through their chests.

While the shields of higher ranked Elites could take a hit or two from an Energy Sword, the inferior armor systems of the Minors were unable to. The aliens let out a wet gurgle, blood pouring out of their mouths. Both collapsed into a bloody heap.

However, the Spartan was going to have any time to celebrate.

A pair of Hunters emerged from one of the buildings, their cannons glowing brightly. Lucas grabbed one of the fallen Plasma Rifle with his left hand. With the sword still in his right hand, he took off, sprint towards the Hunters.

* * *

The battle to get into the main structure of base had been tough, with dozens upon dozens of defenders and more than a few gun emplacements. But the battle inside the confined spaces of the base had been outright brutal. Close quarter fighting worked in the favor of the Covenant, where they didn't have to rely on accuracy to take down their enemies, just sheer volume of fire. This was especially true with the Elites who were far stronger than humans and formidable close quarter fighters, not to mention equipped with personal energy shields.

And through all of that bloody fighting, there had been no sign of their lone Spartan.

But after nearly half an hour of constant fighting, McKay and several of her squads finally made it to the roof and the Shade turrets, firing their weapons at the Covenant forces. In response, the Shade turrets quickly turned from the skies to them, unleashing a hellish barrage of plasma. Several marines and ODSTs were cut down as the rest scrambled for cover.

The four turrets were spaced out in a wide diamond in the center of the roof, surrounded by supply crates and energy barriers. Two of the four Shades were tracking McKay's group while the other two were firing on Sergeant Stacker's team.

"Get some Jackhammers on those turrets!" McKay shouted, firing blindly around a crate.

Three marines armed with rocket launchers rose from their cover, taking aim at the turrets. Two rockets flew while the third soldier was shot and killed. One rocket hit dead on while the other struck an Elite that stood up from behind a fallen crate at the wrong time.

"Come on ladies!" Stacker shouted at his squad. "Quit sitting on your asses and throw some frags at these bastards!"

A trio of grenades flew through the air, landing amid the aliens, one rolling up against the leg of a Shade. They exploded, killing several warriors and throwing the turret into the air before it landed on an unlucky Jackal.

But the grenades did something else, they distracted the rest of the alien soldiers, allowing the two surviving heavy weapon marines to take aim at the remaining turrets. They fired their launchers, destroying the remaining Shades.

With the guns neutralized, the UNSC soldiers pressed the attacked, whittling down the enemy until the last cowering Grunt was shot. The roof cleared, many of the humans let out a cheer at their victory.

However, the cheers were silenced with a single shout of "Spirits!"

Two of the U-shaped Covenant dropships were fast approaching, undoubtedly filled with enemy reinforcements. Their underbelly turrets swiveled, coming to bear against them.

The marines and Helljumpers once more dove for cover as scattered plasma bolts rained down on them. "Get the Jackhammers on them!" McKay ordered.

"Sorry ma'am," one of the marines replied. "We used up our last rockets on the turrets."

"Then get that other launcher!" she shot back.

The marine rose to his feet, sprinting to the rocket launcher, only to get a plasma bolt in the back as he reached it. "Dammit," the First Lieutenant cursed as the man's body hit the ground.

The Spirits had them effectively pinned down as they made their approach. They were going to have to take care of things the hard way.

But at that moment, Lieutenant B312 emerged from one of the doorways, a rocket launcher on his left shoulder and a Fuel Rod Gun in his right hand, orange and blue blood staining his armor. He marched out into the center of the roof, his shields flaring as plasma bolts struck his armor. In an impressive feat of strength, he fired both at the closest Spirit. Projectile and rocket slammed into the front of the craft, consuming it in a fireball.

Not even waiting to watch the stricken dropship fall, the Spartan pivoted, aiming at the other Spirit and firing again. The rocket missed the cockpit, striking the side of the left trooper carrier while the projectile of the Fuel Rod Gun hit the cockpit. The explosion damaged the Spirit but its pilot managed to maintain control.

The Lieutenant threw down the rocket launcher and fired more shots with the Covenant cannon. Another round hit the Spirit dead on followed by third, finishing off the craft. The Spirit fell, smoke and fire emerging from its cockpit. It slammed into the side of central structure.

The ground beneath their feet shook and trembled as the Spirit impacted. But whatever metal the building had been built with was surprisingly tough, enduring the force of the impact and the explosion that followed a split-second later.

McKay could only shake her head while troopers let out a cheer. The Spartan had disobeyed orders, ran off on his own, nearly jeopardized the mission and all their lives, yet managed to single-handedly dispose of most of the turrets and a fair amount of the Covenant stationed here, not to mention taking out the two Spirits. At the moment, she couldn't tell whether he was a loose cannon that would one day get himself and anyone around him killed or one of the best damned soldiers she had ever seen.

"Major, this is McKay," she said, opening a channel to her superior. "The last of the turrets have been disposed of, repelled the Covenant counterattack and are just mopping up the last of their forces."

"_Good work Lieutenant,"_ Silva replied. _"The Covenant counterattack has been repelled and we'll begin bringing up the remaining personnel shortly. And we've also managed to get in touch with Cortana and the Master Chief. They've been gathering up other teams that made it off the Autumn."_

McKay nodded, looking over at the Spartan. "That's good to hear sir. We'll be preparing for your arrival. Over and out."

She watched as the Spartan reached up and pulled off his helmet, staring out at the horizon. "You did some good work sir," McKay said as she approached the armored super soldier. "But you disobeyed orders sir. My report will state that despite the outcome."

The Spartan glanced at her with his gray eyes. He was young, younger than her. Twenty-two, twenty-three maybe. His black hair was cut as per the regulations with matching stubble growing along his tanned face. There were some scars running along his face; a small one on the right edge of his chin, another running down the left side of his face and a few scars from shrapnel on his right cheek. His nose was also slightly crooked, likely from being broken and not being set properly afterwards.

"Sorry for being late," the Spartan offered. "I was delayed by a pair of Hunters."

Melissa blinked. Hunters? None of her squads had reported sightings of the dreaded shock troopers of the Covenant. Most soldiers feared them more than the Brutes or the Elites. If he encountered a pair of the monsters and managed to kill them on his own, then it was an impressive feat. And maybe some of those crazy stories about the Spartans and the things they accomplished against the Covenant were true.

Of course, that didn't excuse his actions here today.

* * *

"_There were Demons aboard the human vessel, are you sure?"_ Thel 'Vadamee, Supreme Commander of the Fleet of Particular Justice asked.

"Yes Supreme Commander. My team encountered two of them."

"_And yet you let them escape,"_ Soha 'Rolamee arrogantly commented. _"Worse than that, you fled from them."_

Special Operations Warrior Varus 'Taralumee bit back a snarl at the bureaucrat's words. The sole reason that 'Rolamee was even a part of this conversation was because that Prophet that was traveling with the Fleet had sent him in his stead. He knew nothing about warfare and strategy. Yes, his team failed to kill the Demons and he did indeed flee after his team was killed and he was injured. Not, however, for his survival but so that he could bring word to the Commanders of the Fleet that there were Demons with the humans.

"Prefect, given the chance I would have gladly given my life to slay the Demons," Varus replied. "But I knew it was vital that word of their presence reach your ears."

The Supreme Commander nodded in agreement. _"And you are right. On countless campaigns, the Demons have inflicted grave damage to our forces. A single Demon can slay hundreds, perhaps thousands of warriors,"_ he said. _"They are not to be underestimated."_

Varus agreed wholeheartedly, his bandaged left eye socket aching. He had seen firsthand what they could do. The Demons were truly deserving of their names.

"_So you say Supreme Commander,"_ the Prefect said. _"But I cannot help but wonder if these 'Demons' are truly that formidable or if it is just incompetence and cowardice of those facing them."_

The black armored Sangheili warrior tensed, anger filling his veins. How dare that spineless bureaucrat call him a coward and the Supreme Commander incompetent! Had the Prefect been there in person instead of by hologram, he would have challenged him to an Honor Duel right then and there, rank be damned. But 'Rolamee was elsewhere, aboard the damaged Battlecruiser _Truth and Reconciliation_ stationed upon Halo itself as they made repairs.

Varus turned to Supreme Commander 'Vadamee's projection. "Supreme Commander, I wish to lead a team to hunt down and slay the Demons."

'Rolamee let out a laugh. _"A team led by a one eyed coward? Who in their right mind would allow such a thing?"_

But 'Vadamee's eyes were solely upon Varus. _"Very well," _the officer answered after a moment. _"I will allow you to form a team to hunt these Demons."_

"_Supreme Commander! This is outrageous!" _the Prefect started to protest.

"_However,"_ 'Vadamee continued. _"I will not waste the lives of good Sangheili on a futile battle. You are to hunt and track the Demons; you will not engage them until I say otherwise. I trust you will not have any problems with this."_

Varus shook his head. Truthfully, he wanted to slay the Demons, especially the one that had taken his eye but his loyalty to 'Vadamee was far greater than his need for vengeance. He would obey the Supreme Commander's orders without question. "No Supreme Commander," he said, reaching up for the bandages on his eye, tearing it off. Varus looked up at his superior with one eye and one empty socket. "I do not have a problem with your orders as it doesn't remain just observing them."

"_It won't."

* * *

_Originally, this chapter was going to be longer, featuring a scene from The Flood where Silva blatantly expresses his bigotry towards the Spartans to the Chief. But at the last minute, I decided to shorten it down for a flashback for the beginning of the next chapter.

As for Varus, I have a number of ideas for him at the moment. Potentially, he might survive Halo and return as a member of Rtas 'Vadumee's (Half-Jaw) Spec Ops team so that I have an excuse to feature some of their story in Halo 2. And to have a few amusing encounters with Lucas.

As always, please review.


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